Everest Business Funding Breaks Down How to Perform Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on WordPress

There are multiple different platforms available for local business owners to create an online presence for their business efficiently. Out of those options, WordPress is a popular choice and an easy-to-use website builder to use and manage a site thanks to its free content management system (CMS) and customizable process. However, WordPress requires user modifications to apply local SEO optimization, unlike some website-building competitors. Everest Business Funding, an organization that provides revenue-based financing to small businesses, breaks down what steps small business owners need to take to elevate rankings for local searches:

Step 1: Check WordPress Site’s URL Structure

Business owners should start with their website’s URL. Many website-building platforms like WordPress generate URLs that are non-SEO friendly and contain lots of random letters or numbers within the text. SEO URLs will state more clarity as to the context of a website within its text.

Step 2: Focus on Website Content

Whichever way a business owner structures their website is up to them. However, keeping the consumer in mind and making the website platform easy to use is the first step to optimizing a website. New business and online branding are lost if the consumer cannot gather the correct information or easily navigate the website. After smoothing out the structure, website builders should research popular locally searched keywords that run parallel with their business and start to include those keywords throughout the website to direct searches. For local SEO, publish local terms and content that incorporate a business’ location and local presence more into their online branding.

Step 3: Ask Customers to Leave Online Reviews

Asking customers to leave reviews online about a business boosts local SEO. Local SEO is a little different compared to traditional SEO. If a physical business wants to be promoted in local searches, a local SEO strategy such as this is the way to go. The more reviews with high star ratings in unison, the higher a physical business will appear when generally searched for in the local area. In addition, good reviews bring in new clientele, as 84% of people trust online reviews with the same trust they have for family and friends. Business owners can motivate customers to leave an online review by sending a coupon code out via email to customers as a reward for leaving a review.

Step 4: Post New Content Regularly

As said directly from WordPress’ customer support, the more regular posts a website has, the higher the search ranking. Therefore, adding a blog to a business website is an excellent avenue for updating new content regularly on a site. Needless to say, Google likes blogs that are consistently updated. When thinking about what blog posts should be about, business owners can start with topics revolving around the keywords they did research on for their website SEO. After doing some marketing research, entrepreneurs can grasp what topics are relevant to their target audience to increase website traffic.

Step 5: Use an SEO Plugin

There are plugins available to help boost SEO on WordPress. A plugin is essentially an additional software you can install to add new features or functionality to a website. Yoast SEO is considered WordPress’s most-used SEO plugin and has features that help boost search engine rankings through automated technical SEO improvements.

About Everest Business Funding

Everest Business Funding is a small business owner’s trusted partner. They support entrepreneurs by providing them with working capital to expand their business and operations. The entire application, approval, and funding process is completed in record time. When you need cash for equipment, staff, renovations, inventory, marketing, or anything else, Everest Business Funding can help.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes